The 2016 James Beard Foundation Awards have been announced, and Los Angeles chefs won awards in several of the top categories, including:
- Outstanding Chef: Suzanne Goin (The Lucques Group - a.o.c., Lucques, Tavern, The Larder Baking Co, Hollywood Bowl concessions)
- Best Chef West: Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (Jon and Vinny's, Son of a Gun, Animal, Trois Familia, Petit Trois, Trois Mec)
- Outstanding Pastry Chef: Dahlia Narvaez (Mozza Restaurant Group - Pizzeria Mozza, Osteria Mozza, chi SPACCA)
dineL.A. Director, Stacey Sun says, "We’re excited the rest of the country is finally discovering what we already knew - that L.A. has one of the nation's most dynamic food scenes with some of the most talented chefs. We’re continuously attracting new talent from all over the world because L.A. provides a platform for freedom and creativity, along with unparalleled ingredients."
Father Gregory Boyle, S.J., founder and executive director of Homeboy Industries, was previously named the 2016 James Beard Humanitarian of the Year and accepted the award at the ceremony. The Humanitarian of the Year award is given to an individual or organization whose work in the realm of food has improved the lives of others and benefited society at large.
During the ceremony, which was hosted by Carla Hall and took place at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, awards in the Restaurant and Chef and Outstanding Restaurant Design categories were presented, as well as a number of special achievement awards, including the Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America, Lifetime Achievement, Design Icon, America’s Classics, and Humanitarian of the Year.
Winners of the Foundation’s annual Book, Broadcast, & Journalism Awards were presented the previous week at a ceremony hosted by Ming Tsai. Lesley Bargar Suter and Bill Esparza of Los Angeles Magazine took home the award for Food Coverage in a General-Interest Publication.
Highlights from this year’s list of winners include:
- Outstanding Chef: Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles
- Outstanding Restaurant: Alinea, Chicago
- Outstanding Pastry Chef: Dahlia Narvaez, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles
- Outstanding Restaurateur: Ken Friedman, The Spotted Pig, The Breslin, Tosca Café, NYC
- Best New Restaurant: Shaya, New Orleans
- Rising Star Chef: Daniela Soto-Innes, Cosme, NYC
The full list of 2016 James Beard Award winners can be found at jamesbeard.org/awards.